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BriefENERGY

Nuclear Waste Deep Borehole Disposal Solution DeepBore Approved by Sweden: Spent Fuel Rods Sealed in 5-Kilometer-Deep Granite for the First Time

DeepBore uses deep borehole technology to seal nuclear waste in stable granite bedrock at 5 kilometers depth, significantly reducing leakage risk compared to traditional shallow geological repositories.

Nuclear Waste Deep Borehole Disposal Solution DeepBore Approved by Sweden

On September 18, 2030, Sweden's nuclear regulatory authority SSM officially approved the DeepBore nuclear waste deep borehole disposal solution. The approach encapsulates spent fuel rods in corrosion-resistant copper-cast iron canisters and lowers them via drilling technology to 5-kilometer-deep granite bedrock for permanent storage.

Traditional nuclear waste geological disposal (such as Finland's Onkalo project) buries waste at approximately 400 to 500 meters depth. DeepBore pushes disposal depth to 5 kilometers, where rock temperature is approximately 150 degrees Celsius, pressure is approximately 1,300 atmospheres, and groundwater flow is extremely slow (estimated renewal cycle exceeds 1 million years), dramatically reducing the risk of radioactive material migration to the surface.

DeepBore project lead Erik Lindqvist, a senior engineer at Sweden's SKB company, said: "The geological barrier performance at 5 kilometers depth is orders of magnitude greater than at 500 meters. Even if copper canisters begin corroding after 100,000 years, radioactive nuclides would need millions of years to reach the surface, by which time most radioactivity would have decayed to safe levels."

Sweden currently has approximately 8,000 tons of spent fuel. DeepBore's initial disposal capacity is 2,000 tons, with the first waste expected to be received in 2035. Each borehole has a diameter of approximately 1 meter and depth of 5 kilometers, capable of holding approximately 30 tons of encapsulated spent fuel.

The project's total budget is approximately 5 billion Swedish kronor (about $500 million), funded by Swedish nuclear power operators through a dedicated fund. DeepBore's approval is seen as a major breakthrough in nuclear waste disposal, with nuclear agencies in multiple countries indicating they will evaluate similar approaches.